Cost Prompts More Than 20% of Americans to Pass on Medical Care

A new survey by Bankrate reveals that 22% of people in the United States have skipped medical care, or have a close family member who has opted not to get medical care in the past year because they felt they couldn’t afford it. Of those,  29% got their insurance in the individual marketplace (eg, Affordable Care Act exchanges), while 22% were covered by employee health plans. Even those who are confident they can afford their healthcare today are not as optimistic about the future; 54% said they are “very” or “somewhat” worried they might not have affordable health coverage in the future, led by young Baby Boomers (67%) and Gen Xers (59%). These foreboding data are actually invaluable market research for urgent care operators. A cornerstone of our industry is the ability to offer high-quality care at a fraction of the price of a trip to the emergency room, in a far more convenient time frame than a traditional primary care practice can usually offer. Market your services to patients who may become increasingly inclined to shop around for “deals” and become loyal cash-paying customers.